Grain Free Archives - Page 2 of 3

Buttered Seafood Shirataki Noodles with Baby Greens (Low-Carb)

February 25, 2018 No Comments

My buttered seafood shirataki noodles recipe has got to be the fastest homemade low-carb dinner you can make on a busy weeknight. You can even make it for lunch if you work from home or happen to spend your lunchtime at home.

This recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free, Keto, Paleo, and can be dairy-free if you use avocado oil instead of butter. In other words, it’s guilt-free!

In my pre-Paleo and pre-Keto days, I actually owned a cookbook titled I Could Eat Pasta Every Night. It’s too funny to think about it now. Yes, I was a self-described “carb junkie” (read my story). Yes, pasta was my favorite meal. In fact, Seafood Fettuccini Alfredo was probably my favorite dish. I didn’t eat it very often because it was known as a “heart attack on a plate,” but boy, did I love it.

Creamy, fatty, saucy carbs! I know now that creamy and fatty is completely fine, but not carby, especially when combined with fatty. 🙂 I donated that cookbook years ago because I didn’t know that shirataki noodles existed. Now I think I should have kept it and used it to modify those pasta recipes to be low-carb!

I first found out about shirataki noodles from my sister. She and my brother-in-law love Japan and have visited it quite often. Shirataki are translucent Japanese noodles made from the konjac tuber plant native to eastern Asia. The konjac tuber has almost no calories and almost no carbohydrates, but is very high in fiber. No wonder they call shirataki noodles “miracle noodles!” There is even a brand called Miracle Noodle®. You can find these noodles at natural food stores, Asian grocery stores, and online.

Plus, all you have to do with shirataki noodles is rinse them, warm them up, and dry in a pan, or skip drying in a pan if you’re in a hurry. It only takes minutes!

Now I can have my “pasta” and eat it, too! Buttery seafood noodles on a rainy or snowy night are especially satisfying to me. Make this Mediterranean-inspired dish fancier by garnishing with flat-leaf Italian parsley, sprinkling with fresh or dried chives, or topping with goat cheese crumbles, if you’re not dairy-sensitive.

To make this a quick and easy dish, I use canned, smoked seafood. My favorite is smoked baby clams in olive oil, but you can also make it with smoked oysters in olive oil.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 packages shirataki noodles (I use Miracle Noodle® Angel Hair or House Foods brands)
2 packages smoked baby clams in pure olive oil (I use Crown Prince Natural brand)
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, or cooking fat of choice such as ghee or avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups baby greens (I like a blend of spinach and arugula)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper or freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
Flat-leaf Italian parsley or chives (fresh or dried) for garnish, (optional)

Directions

Prepare shirataki noodles according to package instructions: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the noodles in cool water for 15 seconds. Place the noodles in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Dry the noodles in a non-oiled pan over medium heat stirring occasionally until the water evaporates.
Remove noodles from the pan and place in a bowl.
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add baby greens and sauté for 1 minute stirring occasionally.
Add noodles, salt, and white pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute stirring occasionally or until the noodles are warmed through.
Add smoked baby clams. Gently toss everything together.
Garnish with flat-leaf Italian parsley or chives, if desired.
Serve immediately.

TIP:
To make this seafood shirataki noodles recipe even faster, skip drying the noodles in a non-oiled pan (as described in step 1 and 2 above). Your dish will be a bit more soupy and saucy, if you prefer it that way.

VARIATIONS:
This dish also goes well with smoked oysters in olive oil instead of baby clams. I use Crown Prince Natural brand because it’s the only brand I was able to find that uses olive oil instead of highly-inflammatory industrial “vegetable” oils. Not a big fan of smoked seafood? You may also use canned baby clams or precooked shrimp. Not in a hurry? Cook up some fresh seafood to serve with the noodles!

Now I should create a low-carb shirataki Fettuccini Alfredo recipe 😉

Looking for additional quick and easy seafood recipes? Check out my Fish Hash recipe.

In Easy Breakfast

Spiced Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

February 20, 2018 No Comments

I woke up to -2° outside today. It was a cold yet crisp, sunny, and beautiful Colorado morning. On such a day, which also happens to be National Muffin Day, a grain-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, lectin-free, diary-free, low-carb spiced muffin that tastes like gingerbread is what my husband requested for breakfast. How many “-free” adjectives can I fit into one sentence?! 🙂

No wonder National Muffin Day is celebrated in February. In Colorado, February is one of the coldest months. I like to bake when it’s cold outside, but this particular spiced muffin recipe doesn’t require baking, which is perfect for a busy weekday morning like today. Quick, easy, and delicious is the way to go!

This spiced muffin-in-a-bowl recipe is Keto-friendly and takes less than 10 minutes to make. We make all kinds of variations of this basic muffin-in-a-bowl recipe specifically because it’s so easy to make.

You can get creative with it and have fun trying different flavors. I came up with this spiced muffin version after baking Scandinavian-style spiced, grain-free cookies during the holidays last year.

Fill your house with a warming smell of spices. Top it with grass-fed butter, if you’re not dairy-sensitive, for a luscious and satisfying breakfast worthy of National Muffin Day.

Who says muffins can’t be quick, easy, and healthy?

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 large egg, preferably pastured (I use pastured eggs from Vital Farms, which are available at most grocery stores in our area)
1 tablespoon low-carb maple-flavored syrup (I use Lakanto® Maple Flavored Syrup, which is available on Amazon.com)
1 tablespoon filtered water
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic® no-sugar-added Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon blanched almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use Spicely® Organics True Cinnamon)
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)

Directions

Whisk the egg, maple-flavored syrup, water, vanilla extract, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl or ramekin until well combined.
Pour melted coconut oil into the bowl or ramekin. Add all of the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg) and mix well.
Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl using oven mittens (it will be hot!)
Top with grass-fed butter, if desired.
Let cool for a minute and enjoy!

TIP:
Scrape the sides of the bowl or ramekin before placing it in the microwave.

VARIATIONS:
Try my Cinnamon Muffin In A Bowl or Strawberry Muffin In A Bowl version of this recipe.

In Weekend Breakfast

Pancakes (Low-Carb)

February 8, 2018 4 Comments

We finally figured out the best pancakes recipe that is grain-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free (unless you fry them in and top with butter), lectin-free, low-carb, Keto, and Paleo! I don’t know how many more “-free” adjectives I can add 😉 These are so delicious and guilt-free that I would make them more often if I had the time on weekdays. For us, it’s typically a weekend or a holiday breakfast.

These pancakes are more like regular pancakes than the recipes I’ve tried before. I really have to credit Joel for playing around with this pancakes recipe to get just the right consistency. In the past, our pancakes would turn out thin, more like French crêpes or Russian pancakes, but this recipe makes them thicker like your traditional American pancakes. That’s probably because Joel wants his pancakes like what he’s used to 🙂

Whether the pancakes are thin or thick, they remind me of growing up in Russia. When I was little, I often stayed at my grandparents’ house on weekends. I would wake up to the smell of my grandmother making pancakes. There would be a tall stack of thin, buttered pancakes. The house smelled amazing.

She served them with hot cocoa. My grandfather liked his pancakes with melted butter. I liked mine with my grandmother’s homemade raspberry jam. Talk about sugar, gluten, and more sugar! Luckily, our pancakes recipe has no sugar, no gluten, and no worries, only the amazing smell and taste that reminds both of us of our childhood.

We serve them with grass-fed butter (or goat butter as pictured in the photos) and Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup, which is monk-fruit-sweetened and sugar-free. You could use coconut oil instead of butter if you are dairy-sensitive.

This makes my weekend. Now I can go to my Yoga Burn class and burn those few net carbs 😂

Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, preferably pastured (I use pastured eggs from Vital Farms, which are available at most grocery stores in our area)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon natural, sugar-free sweetener (I use Lakanto® Monk Fruit Sweetener, which is 100% as sweet as regular table sugar. Adjust your sweetener accordingly.)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic® no-sugar-added Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract)
2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, preferably no-guar-gum-added
1/4 cup of water or less depending on the consistency of the pancake batter
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)
Grass-fed butter, goat butter, French butter, or coconut oil for frying
Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup to taste for serving (or another sugar-free maple syrup of choice)

Directions:

Mix eggs, coconut oil, sweetener, vanilla extract, and coconut milk until well combined.
Add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together without over mixing, especially if you want thicker pancakes.
Check the batter consistency. If it’s too thick, add water, up to 1/4 cup, or until the batter resembles regular pancake batter.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a spoonful of butter or coconut oil. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan to make a large pancake.
Cook like traditional pancakes until bubbles appear and the edges look a bit browned.
Flip to the other side and cook about 1 minute or until browned.

Let me know how you like our grain-free, sugar-free pancakes recipe in the comments below. Enjoy!

Low Carb Pancakes — Joel enjoying our low-carb pancakes!

If you like low-carb breakfasts, check out my Cinnamon Muffin In A Bowl recipe and Strawberry Muffin In A Bowl recipe.

In Juicy Chicken

Crispy Chicken Wings

January 30, 2018 No Comments

My husband and I love chicken wings, but most restaurants fry their wings in industrial “vegetable” oils, which are highly unstable and inflammatory, so we finally perfected our own, homemade, crispy chicken wings recipe.

Lulu’s BBQ, where we live in Louisville, Colorado, smokes their chicken wings, and although they’re delicious, they are marinated in a BBQ sauce and must be full of sugar. I still prefer Lulu’s smoked wings to fried wings, so it’s a treat when I find myself wanting someone else to cook for me.

Chicken wings are great to eat while watching a football game. Joel loves football, so we were at a game our community was hosting, but they were serving breaded chicken wings (apparently, the grocery story ran out of the un-breaded ones). What?! I was so disappointed because I was craving wings, but I didn’t want the fried, the breaded, nor the sugary ones.

I bought a bag of frozen wings, saw how easy it was to make them, and voila — our crispy chicken wings recipe was born. Then Joel perfected it when he came up with a well-seasoned butter sauce to toss the wings in. It helps that he worked at a Wings ‘N Things restaurant in high school. 🙂 Now we often make these at home.

When you are busy business owners and healthy foodies, you come up with quick and easy recipes that are healthy, delicious, and satisfying, and then you share them with the world!

Plus, with the Super Bowl 2018 coming up this weekend, for all of you football fans out there, and the rest of us who love to watch Super Bowl commercials while eating healthy football party food, this recipe is a must!

The beauty of this homemade crispy chicken wings recipe is that you don’t have to thaw the chicken wings, which makes this a breeze. They might taste better thawed, but I’ve been too busy lately to try 😉

Ingredients

2 lbs. bag of frozen chicken wings
3 tablespoons butter, melted (I use grass-fed butter)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt)

Directions

Turn on the oven broiler.
Arrange frozen chicken wings on a broiler pan. Ensure there’s plenty of space between wings, so they get really crispy.
Once the broiler is heated, place the broiler pan with chicken wings about 6 inches from the heat source.
Broil for 25-30 minutes, turning chicken wings over every 5 minutes, until they are as crispy as you like them. We like them really crispy!
Meanwhile, mix melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl.
Toss cooked chicken wings in the butter sauce. Serve while warm.

TIP:
We’ve also tried adding powdered mustard in addition to the above seasonings. Or, if you like them spicy, use a dash of cayenne pepper instead of Italian seasoning.

Enjoy!

Love chicken as much as we do? Check out our Crispiest Baked Chicken recipe.

In Soups, Stews, and Broths

Grandma Fira’s Homemade Chicken Broth

December 24, 2017 No Comments

This is the best homemade chicken broth / soup recipe from my grandma, which I adjusted slightly after living in St. Maarten. Chicken soups I had in the Caribbean were by far the most delicious and hearty. This recipe is the low-carb, gluten-free version.

My grandma’s and Caribbean-style special tricks make this a staple in our house. Whenever it’s cold outside, or I’m feeling sick, or I want something heart-warming, I make this recipe. I’ve also made it and brought it over to friends and family to help them get better 🙂

This homemade chicken broth recipe is super easy to make. If you need broth for any other recipes, strain when done and voila! The beauty of making the broth this way is you can serve it over whatever veggies you want, or not. Pour over spinach or baby greens and canned artichoke hearts to add wilted greens and veggies to your soup. Top with avocado, if you’d like, and/or fresh herbs such as cilantro or flat-leaf Italian parsley.

If I only have baby carrots and red onions on hand, that works, too, as you can see in my photo. Enjoy and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients

4 whole skin-on chicken legs (or an equivalent amount of chicken drumsticks and/or thighs)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2-3 pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-3 pieces each
1 yellow onion, peeled and ends trimmed
6 fresh thyme sprigs (or more to taste)
Sea salt to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients into a large soup pot. Don’t cut the onion; leave it whole, peeled, and uncut.
Pour enough filtered water into the pot to cover all ingredients.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer for 40 minutes.
Adjust seasonings, if needed.

This homemade chicken broth recipe is featured on Connie Bennett’s blog. Connie, the Cravings Ninja^TM and 1 New Thing a Day^TM Founder, is the bestselling author of Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock.

I also developed my homemade bone broth recipe from grass-fed beef marrow bones that is based on my grandma’s chicken broth recipe. Check it out!

In Soups, Stews, and Broths

Homemade Bone Broth

November 19, 2017 No Comments

Have you heard of liquid gold? That’s what they call bone broth! Some claim that it is a nutritional powerhouse with many health benefits:

Rich in protein
Rich in gelatin
A source of minerals

Apparently, bone broth helps with joint, skin, and digestive health; helps to mitigate the side effects of colds and flu; and supports your body’s detoxification process.

So, bone broth is delicious, nutrient-rich, super good for you, and can be served in a variety of ways. What’s not to like?

I’ve tried a few varieties of store-bought bone broth, and frankly, I’m not impressed. My homemade bone broth from grass-fed beef marrow bones is way better, but then again, I’m biased.

Not only that, but it’s so easy to throw together — 5 ingredients plus water and seasonings — that I make it all the time.

This bone broth recipe is based on my grandma’s chicken soup recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

About 3 lbs. of grass-fed beef bones (preferably with marrow in them)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2-3 pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-3 pieces each
1 yellow onion, peeled
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg ^® Organic, Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt)

Directions

Place bones, carrot, celery, and onion into a large soup pot. Don’t cut the onion; leave it whole, peeled, and uncut.
Pour enough filtered water into the pot to cover all ingredients.
Pour apple cider vinegar into the pot.
Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer for 24 hours (walk away and leave it alone, seriously!)

Yep, that’s how quick and easy it is to make your own bone broth. It takes a while to cook, but the end result is rich, satisfying, and oh, so worth it. Enjoy!

In Eat Your Organ Meats

Russian-Style Beef Cutlets with Liver

September 17, 2017 2 Comments

I was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. We ate foods like homemade liver pâté, meat aspic made from pigs feet (called kholodets in Russian), caviar, and others uncommon foods as far as American palates go.

When you grow up with these foods, they are delicious and normal to you. Everyone in my family loves liver. My 20-months-old niece loves our homemade liver pâté!

Liver is also one of nature’s most potent superfoods, so we try to eat it every other week. Typically, I make it as a pâté, but one day I thought of adding liver instead of day-old bread soaked in milk to a traditional Russian cutlet recipe. It turned out so well (and so easy to make!) that we started making this dish quite often. It is now one of my signature recipes 🙂

I realize, however, that not everyone loves liver. So, if you’re not a big fan of beef liver, but would like to add organ meats into your diet, you might want to give this recipe a try. The beef masks the taste of liver to some degree.

These Russian-style beef cutlets with liver are tender, moist, and delicious. Be adventurous and let me know how you like them!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef, preferably 80% or 85% grass-fed (or elk, or bison)
1 lb. beef liver, preferably grass-fed
1 yellow onion
1 egg, preferably pastured (I use pastured eggs from Vital Farms, which are available at most grocery stores in our area)
Cooking fat of choice (beef tallow, butter, or coconut oil)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)
Garlic powder to taste (optional)

Directions

Chop the onion by hand or in a food processor. Place in a bowl.
Place the liver and egg into a food processor. Mix for about 10 seconds, or until well combined, and the mixture is smooth without any chucks.
Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, if desired, to the liver and egg mixture, and mix in the food processor for about 10 seconds, or until well combined.
Transfer the beef and liver mixture to the bowl with the onions and mix until combined.
Heat a frying pan on medium-high. When the pan is hot, add cooking fat of choice (I use EPIC or Fatworks grass-fed beef tallow).
Cook in batches — brown on one side for about 3 minutes, then flip over and brown on the other side for about 3 minutes or until cooked through.

Enjoy!

In Easy Breakfast

Cinnamon Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

September 14, 2017 No Comments

My husband loves cinnamon, so naturally, I had to create a lectin-free, grain-free cinnamon muffin-in-a-bowl recipe that is Keto-friendly.

If you love cinnamon, you’ll love this quick and easy recipe. In fact, it’s so fast and easy that we often make variations of this basic muffin-in-a-bowl recipe on weekdays, at least once a week.

This muffin goes particularly well with coffee, in our opinion, if you’re a coffee drinker. I’m an occasional coffee drinker 🙂

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 large egg, preferably pastured (I use pastured eggs from Vital Farms, which are available at most grocery stores in our area)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 teaspoons low-carb sweetener (I use Lakanto® Classic White or Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, which is available on Amazon.com)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use Spicely® Organics True Cinnamon)
Pinch of salt (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)

Directions

Whisk the egg, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sweetener, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl or ramekin until well combined.
Pour melted coconut oil into the bowl or ramekin and mix well.
Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl using oven mittens (it will be hot!)
Top with grass-fed butter, extra cinnamon, and extra sweetener, if desired.
Let cool for a minute and enjoy!

TIP:
If this gluten-free muffin is a bit too dry for your taste, add a tablespoon of water to the ingredients in step 1.

VARIATIONS:
Substitute strawberries for cinnamon to make a Strawberry Muffin In A Bowl version of this recipe.

In Juicy Chicken

The Crispiest Baked Chicken

July 20, 2017 No Comments

I love chicken! I like it roasted, fried, baked, steamed, simmered in a homemade soup — you name it. Because I grew up in Russia, I always preferred the juicy dark meat (chicken legs and chicken thighs). I also love crispy chicken skin.

The key to achieving a super crispy chicken without frying it is the cooking fat that you use. I think that the pork fat is the best cooking fat for baking your chicken.

This crispiest baked chicken recipe is so good that you’ll never miss the deep-fried stuff. It’s super easy to make, too.

Ingredients

8 whole chicken legs
1/4 cup pork fat (I like EPIC pastured pork fat)
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Directions

Pe-heat oven to 415° F.
Generously slather chicken legs with pork fat.
Sprinkle chicken legs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Arrange on a broiler pan to allow for some of the fat to drip when cooking. Ensure there’s plenty of space between chicken legs, so they get really crispy.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the skin is really crispy.

TIP:
Fry some garlic in grass-fed butter and pour over the chicken legs once they were done baking, as featured in my photo above.

Enjoy!

In Easy Breakfast

Strawberry Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

July 13, 2017 No Comments

Berries are in season, so I tried adding a few sliced strawberries to my grain-free, and thus gluten-free, muffin-in-a-bowl recipe. It turned out so delicious (and so quick and easy to make) that I have to share the recipe.

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 large egg, preferably pastured (I use pastured eggs from Vital Farms, which are available at most grocery stores in our area)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 teaspoons low-carb sweetener (I use Lakanto® Classic White or Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, which is available on Amazon.com)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)
2 medium-sized strawberries, sliced

Directions

Whisk the egg, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, sweetener, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl or ramekin until well combined.
Pour melted coconut oil into the bowl or ramekin and mix well.
Add sliced strawberries by mixing them in (make sure they’re covered with the rest of the mixture).
Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl using oven mittens (it will be hot!)
Add grass-fed butter on top, if desired, let cool for a minute, and enjoy!

This grain-free muffin almost tastes like a sponge cake. You can fry it in a pan like a pancake. You can add some whipped cream on top, and it’s dessert!

VARIATIONS:
Substitute cinnamon for strawberries to make a Cinnamon Muffin In A Bowl version of this recipe.

Grain Free

Buttered Seafood Shirataki Noodles with Baby Greens (Low-Carb)

Ingredients

Directions

Spiced Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

Ingredients

Directions

Pancakes (Low-Carb)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Crispy Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Directions

Grandma Fira’s Homemade Chicken Broth

Homemade Bone Broth

Russian-Style Beef Cutlets with Liver

Cinnamon Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

Ingredients

Directions

The Crispiest Baked Chicken

Strawberry Muffin In A Bowl (Low-Carb)

Ingredients

Directions

Savory Bread In A Mug (Low-Carb)

Marc’s Roasted Chicken

Grandma Fira’s “Annushka” Russian Cake (Low-Carb)